The present application is directed to a blender for blending foodstuff and, more particularly, to a blender that includes a transparent base and a suspended motor housing.
Blenders are a common household appliance and are capable of mixing liquids and chopping dry foods. Blenders are also useful for liquefying fruits and vegetables and for blending solids with liquids. A typical blender includes a container comprised of a collar and a jar that sits on top of an opaque polymeric base that encloses a motor. The collar includes a blending tool rotatably mounted thereto. The blending tool is rotatably engageable with a drive shaft of the motor in an operating configuration. Foodstuff is placed into the container and the container is engaged with the base. The foodstuff is blended and the container is removed from the base to dispense or pour the blended foodstuff.
Because blenders are frequently used and left out on a household countertop, the overall appearance of the blender is important. It would be desirable to have a base formed from a transparent or translucent outer housing with an open bottom showing a second housing, encasing the motor, and a light to illuminate the countertop and the components within the base. Further, it would be desirable to support the motor housing from an upper portion of the base to give the appearance that the motor housing is suspended within the transparent outer housing. It would also be desirable to have recessed controls on the outer housing for ease of use and a corresponding modern appearance.
Rubber tabs or strips called feet are often attached to the bottom of the blender housing to keep the blender from sliding during use. Traditional feet are comprised of an opaque rubber and the size and location of the feet is often immaterial because the opaque base conceals the use of base feet. In a blender with a transparent and open bottom however, it would be desirable to easily and conspicuously integrate the base feet in the bottom edge of the base.
Because appliances such as blenders have motors running at very high speeds, they must be vented to keep cool while in operation. Traditional blenders draw air into the housing, circulate the air to cool the motor, and then exhaust or vent the air out of the housing. Dust, specifically brush dust from the motor, is deposited within the housing as the air circulates. Traditionally, this is not a concern because the opaque outer housing conceals the deposited dust. However, a blender having a transparent base would easily show this dust and detract from the blender's appearance, requiring additional cleaning. It would be desirable therefore, to draw in, and sealingly circulate and exhaust the cooling air minimizing the air traveling over the inner surface of the base.